Solve This Problem Together
by Sciencegeek926
Summary: One shot. Something of an alternate ending to 2x14, where Walter reveals to Paige the real reason for speed dating.


**A one shot that I've been piecing together since this episode (2x14) aired. And I'm still working on my ongoing story, In My Veins, so have no fear! Anyways, hope you enjoy this fluffiness.**

The door to Walter's bedroom was open, and as Paige peered in, she saw Walter furtively typing away on his laptop. She stood a moment to gather her courage, studying his brow creased in concentration, his lips pursed together, and his deep brown eyes brimming with thought.

It was late, 11:00pm, and the rest of the team were downstairs packing up to head home. She had left Ralph with a sitter for the night, as she hadn't known when Scorpion would come home.

When Walter hadn't noticed her after a few moments, she swallowed and knocked lightly on the doorframe. He glanced up at her, his gaze lingering on her, then flitting back to his laptop. "Hey," was all he said.

"Hi," she replied, walking to stand beside his desk. "So, I heard the speed dating didn't turn out well."

He looked back up at her and hesitated for a moment, then leaned back in his chair and said, "Ya, they don't seem to like honesty much."

Paige smiled and had to stop herself from laughing as she explained, "Walter, there is a fine line between honesty and insult."

Seeing her smile, he couldn't help but smile back and shake his head. He then looked faraway over her shoulder, his eyes narrowed. His smile faded, and the atmosphere turned from playful to solemn. "I wanted to branch out socially, but people don't understand me, and I don't understand them."

Paige took a step closer and said, "Hey, don't get discouraged. You don't make good first impressions, but you, Walter O'Brien, are one of the most extraordinary friends I've ever had."

His eyes shifted back to her. She held his gaze, feeling gravitated toward him. She felt herself leaning into him, captured in his eyes which so often exposed to her his depth of soul and emotion he tried to hide. She then took a breath to recompose herself, and asked with a smile in an attempt to lighten the mood, "Why did you choose speed dating anyway? You had to know it wouldn't be your forte."

He opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again. He turned away from her and back to his laptop, shrugged, and said, "It seemed the most efficient. I thought it was the best way to eliminate the obviously insufficient candidates in a quick and concise manner. I had a hypothesis, I tested it, and I was proven wrong." He shrugged again, still staring at his computer screen, "I'll just have to formulate a new hypothesis, test it, and continue to do so until I find the most efficient and effective method of social encounter navigation."

Paige stared at him. She knew he was lying. She may not be a genius behaviorist like Toby, but it was easy enough for her to tell when Walter was not being honest. "Walter," she spoke softly. When he didn't respond, she continued, "You've learned enough to know emotions cannot be broken down into scientific formulas." She waited for his answer.

After a moment, he stood up and, without even a glance at her, walked across the room to pour coffee. She stood beside his desk, staring across the room at the back of his head with his short, black hair. They stood in silence like that for what seemed to be an eternity.

She just began to move toward the door to leave in resignation when Walter turned around and spoke up, still avoiding her eyes. "It's easier to make a fool of myself in 1 minute conversations with strangers than to pursue more..." He took a breath, looking for the right words, "intimate opportunities."

Paige took a quick inhale of surprise, then steadied her breathing, hoping Walter hadn't noticed. She was certain of what he was referencing with 'intimate opportunities.' She studied his face, trying to catch his eye, but he refused to look up. "Walter..." She spoke just above a whisper, for once at a loss for what to say.

When she finally found her voice, she slowly walked toward him, her words matching the pace of her steps, "Walter, pursuing meaningless interactions is no better than not pursuing them at all." She was now about two feet from him, but he still stared at the floor. She spoke again, this time with a bit more conviction, "You said you want to improve socially and emotionally. You want to use science, but you can't, so you avoid it. That's a problem."

Finally, his eyes snapped up to meet hers. His brow was furrowed, not in concentration this time, but rather frustration. His lips were twisted into a frown, his jaw was clenched, and his eyes revealed misery and fear. "I know," he whispered.

Her heart was beating wildly now, pounding in her ears, as she took a step forward, their faces inches apart. "You like to solve problems, right?"

He gave an almost imperceptible nod, unsure where she was going with that. She slowly reached out to take his hand in hers, searching his face to watch his reaction. When he swallowed but closed is fingers around hers, she leaned into him and whispered, "Then let's solve this problem together."

She could now feel his breath on her lips. She leaned forward and though he did not do the same, he did not show any signs of wanting to stop. She searched his eyes, and among the fear and frustration, she saw a longing there, an anticipation she knew he was fighting to embrace. Her lips grazed his, and she closed her eyes as she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

At first he did not react, but then he began to kiss back. They continued their slow, chaste kiss for a few seconds before it began to deepen. She lifted her hands to run them up his shoulders and behind his neck, grabbing a handful of his black hair.

She felt his hands on the small of her back, pulling her toward him so their bodies were pressed against one another. Their kiss deepened still, until their tongues fought for dominance in a heated, breathless battle. She moaned into his mouth and tugged at his shirt.

He pulled away slightly, just enough to look into her eyes. He lifted one of his hands from her back to place it on her neck, his thumb softly brushing her cheek. "Paige, I- I've never felt about anyone like I do about you, and i- it scares me to death. So much of who I thought I am has turned out false."

Paige smiled and replied, "Walter, you weren't wrong about who you used to be. But you're learning."

Walter chuckled and a grin spread across his face. She was aware he was staring at her now, and as she looked into his eyes, their arms still wrapped around each other and bodies pressed close, she saw there raw joy. It was extremely rare to see him so content and full of emotion. It filled her with her own joy, and set her heart racing again.

They both leaned in for a bruising kiss, picking up where they left off. She pulled his tie off, while he began to unbutton her blouse. Walter picked her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and he carried her to his bed. He broke the kiss briefly as he set her gently on the bed. They looked at each other, both fully aware of where this night was currently taking them, both accepting the consequences it would have on their relationship. They communicated this wordlessly, and settled under the covers.

The next morning, the team began to file into the garage. First Happy, then Toby, and lastly Sly. After a few hours passed, they began wondering where Paige and Walter were. "Did they say anything about being late?" Sly questioned. Toby and Happy shook their heads.

Toby suggested, "I'll call Walt. He's probably getting supplies for a new pet project." As Toby heard the first few rings, he realized Walter's phone was in his room. He looked at the others, pointed upstairs, shrugged, and began the ascent to Walter's room to see if he was there.

The door was still open, so he peered in. His eyes widened and his jaw slacked at what he saw. In the far corner of the room, Walter was laying on his side in bed, blankets only covering his bottom half. Paige slept beside him, turned away from Toby. Each was hugging the other, with Walter's hand on her bare mid-back and Paige's head turned to rest on Walter's chest, so Toby could see her profile. He quickly jumped away from the doorway. As the shock wore off, a grin spread across Toby's face. 'I'm always right about this stuff,' he thought to himself.

As he came down the stairs, the other two looked at him expectantly. "Well, I think they'll be sleeping in a bit today," he quipped.

Happy put down her wrench and interrogated, "They?"

Toby smirked and said, "I don't think they got much sleep last night."

Sly took a step forward and replied, "Are you suggesting..."

Toby smirked again and gave them a knowing look. Happy countered, "No way."

Toby simply lifted an eyebrow at her. "Would I lie?"

"But are you sure?" Sly questioned.

"Am I sure, of course I'm sure!"

Happy chuckled and shook her head as she went back to work. "And you," Toby pointed his finger at Happy, "owe me money."

Paige woke up, a bit confused and disoriented, not in her own home. Then memories from last night rushed back to her, and she closed her eyes briefly, smiling. She inhaled deeply, taking in Walter's scent. Their legs were entwined together under the covers, and she snuggled closer to him, glad of his warmth.

"Good morning," he whispered in her ear, placing a chaste kiss to the top of her head.

She glanced briefly at him before asking, "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," he replied. After a moment of silence, Paige realized how bright it was outside.

She stiffened, "What time is it?"

Walter took in a breath, "Uh, I don't know, my watch isn't on me." Paige sighed, knowing they had to get to work. She wished she could stay here in bed with Walter all day, but she knew that wasn't an option. Rolling out of bed with a groan, she shivered when she felt Walter's warm skin break contact with her own. She began to collect her clothes to get dressed. Walter sat up and frowned.

Paige stopped running around the room to ask him, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head, answering, "The team has probably been here for a while now. I was just hoping they haven't looked for me in here..."

Paige knew where he was going with that, and she had to admit, that would be pretty embarrassing.

She slowly nodded, "Ya... But, uhm, even if they didn't, we still have to go downstairs together, me wearing the same clothes as yesterday." She sighed, adding, "It'll be pretty obvious."

Walter nodded and shrugged, "Whatever the situation, I'm sure Toby would figure it out in 30 seconds." Paige laughed, kissed his cheek, and continued getting ready while Walter took a shower. After, they stood just inside his bedroom, bracing themselves for the onslaught of teasing they knew would come.

Walter reached out and grabbed Paige's hand, giving it a light squeezed before letting go and leading her out the door. Walking down the stairs together, they heard Toby make his remark, "Hey lovebirds, catch any sleep?" Paige felt a flush creep up her cheeks despite herself. She rolled her eyes in an attempt to discourage him, but he continued, "I for one totally predicted this."

Happy smirked as she said, "You two cost me a pretty penny."

Sly spoke up, "So, what happened to the no workplace relationships rule?" Walter responded, "Alright, alright, that's enough commentary on my personal life." Toby threw up his hands in mock defense.

"I'm going to go home and freshen up, I'll be back," she said to Walter in a hushed tone.

He smiled and nodded, "Okay." But he followed her to just inside the doorway, and she turned around to say bye. Before she could say anything, he pulled her in for an affectionate kiss. She smiled into him, and as they pulled apart, he squeezed her hand. "Thank you."

She cocked her head, "What for?"

"For... Everything."

This widened her smile, and she bit her lips before giving him a soft kiss.

"You don't need to thank me, Walter."

 **I always love reviews!**


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